In Argentina, River Plate forged an excellent team that were dubbed 'La Maquina' (The Machine) who were led by Carlos Munoz, Jose Manuel Moreno, Adolofo pedernera and Angel Labruno – who had perfected the idea of the 'false nine' playing style and a frequent change of attacking positions and formations.įor their efforts, La Maquina won several Argentine and international accolades and inspired Hungary's Golden Team of the 1952 Summer Olympics (pictured) – who then went on to lose the 1954 World Cup final to West Germany in a narrow 3-2 scoreline. Under manager Harry Potts, Burnley had adopted the Total Football system in English football where "every player could play in every position" which led them to win the 1959-60 Englsh league title. GettyĪjax, alongside Real Madrid, were clubs who adopted Total Football in Europe early on, though the philosophy was also used in other countries and leagues – such as the Austrian Wunderteam in the 1930s, Argentina side 'La Maquina' of River Plate in the 1940s, and English side Burnley in the 1950s as well as Brazilian side Santos in the 1960s. They suffered just one defeat in the whole of the 1971-72 Eredivisie season, and celebrated four titles in 1972 – winning two league titles, the KNVB Cup, the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. The Netherlands team that reached the final of the 1974 World Cup made Total Football known on a wider global scale, but it was implemented famously by Ajax during the early 1970s and led the side to experience their most successful periods in their club history.Ījax played the most fluid football after deploying Total Football, and completed a perfect home record (46 wins, 0 losses and draws) for two consecutive seasons (1971-73). ![]() The initial foundations for the footballing philosophy of Total Football were cemented by Jack Reynolds, who managed Eredivisie side Ajax during multiple spells in the early 1900s. Which clubs & teams used the philosophy of Total Football? The philosophy requires players to be comfortable with playing in more than one position (and not just their traditional set-in-stone position as is usually so common), therefore needing players involved to be highly skilled, versatile and adaptable. The success of Total Football philosophy is, however, almost completely dependent on the fluidity and ability of each footballer within the team, as well as their ability to switch positions quickly and accordingly based on the on-pitch events. Total Football was made famous by the Netherlands national team in the run-up of reaching the final of the 1974 World Cup, which they eventually lost to West Germany. It promotes the ideology that "no one part is bigger than the sum of the team" – and is typically played in a fast-paced fashion so as to outsmart the opposition team. ![]() In Total Football, a player is switched out of their position and instantly replaced by another from their team, which solidifies the team's organisational structure. It creates for a fluid tactical system in which no outfield player is fixed in their set role – as any player can switch to playing as an attacker, midfielder or defender, with the only player retaining their position for the entirety of the match being the goalkeeper. Total Football is a tactical playing theory in football where any outfield player adopts the role of any other player in the team. What is the tactical theory of Total Football? Ahead of England's UEFA Nations League semi-final clash with the Netherlands next summer, Goal takes a look at Total Football, the tactical philosophy made famous by the Dutch team in the early 1970s, as well as other clubs, teams, players and managers who were the main proponents of the ideology.
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